Such is Life

By Goran Jese

Dive into the Goran Jese's life and walk a mile in his shoes.

This collection of real-life stories is anything but ordinary. Experience the author's life changing events and observations through his eyes and join him on his numerous journeys. Whether his journeys involve a change of location or travel into the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Butterdragons Publishing
• Release date: Jul 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9789493229938

Book preview

SUCH IS LIFE

SHORT STORIES

AND ANECDOTES

Goran Jese

A picture containing night sky Description automatically generated

Title: Such Is Life - Short Stories and Anecdotes

Author: Goran Jese

Copyright © 2022 Butterdragons® Publishing

Translated from Croatian by Butterdragons® Translation Team

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This includes, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise.

Published by Butterdragons® Publishing

https://butterdragons.com

ISBN: 9789493229938 (ebook)

ISBN: 9789493229945 (trade paperback)

ISBN: 9789493229952 (audio book)

Cover Design by: Dazed Designs

Photographer: Dražen Ješe

Model: Goran Ješe

Audio book narrated by Joshua Schubart

I would like to thank my wife and partner Jasenka for accompanying me for the most part of my journey, from which these short stories originated. (This year we are celebrating 50 years of being married.)

I would like to dedicate my book to my granddaughter Eva who, at the age of five, during the covid crisis, said,

MAY EVERYTHING BE AS IT USED TO BE!

FOREWORD

What inspired the creation of this book?

Reading the congenial book by a Nobel laureate Elias Canetti The Tongue Set Free (Die gerettete Zunge), made me realise that even ordinary events in someone’s, (not even too exciting or sensational) life can become an interesting read if told in a simple, warm vocabulary.

So more or less spontaneously, I began writing about the events in my world and the events around me I have always observed carefully. When I started writing about current events, I also started remembering various events from the past, so I recorded them in the form of short stories. I often shared them with my friends, the same friends I used to send my critical reviews and essays on ‘serious’ topics (the current political situation and similar).

I was surprised that they preferred most of my short stories to the essays about the ‘serious topics,’ mostly because of the light topics they described, and to the point that they started encouraging me to keep writing and even start ‘gathering’ them into a book to publish them.

I couldn’t resist the challenge, hence the title Crtice i pričice iz života (Such Is Life – Short Stories & Anecdotes).

There are other reasons why I (gladly) write. I believe that careful observation and detailed description of what I have observed helps me keep my head ‘in shape’ over the years. Furthermore, in doing so, I successfully fight the trap of the ‘abbreviated’ language of modern ‘computer’ correspondence and contribute to restoring the dignity of writing in the ‘normal’ language in all its glory.

Goran Jese

He takes you on a journey

Through his life

With a splash of humour

And a lot of nostalgia

by Helle Gade

GARO

ABOUT OUR GARO

(Written on Christmas Eve, 2021)

Dear friends,

Most of you who spend time with us, and who occasionally come to our ‘Kućica’[1] on Medvedski breg above Markuševečka Trnava, have long known Garo, our dog who lives there. However, as Garo will be a hero in several of the stories in this book, it is only appropriate to introduce him to those who don’t know him yet.

Where was he ‘born’ and who are his parents?

For the last ten years of my working life in Končar, I have been working on projects for the electrification of railway lines. So, in 2012-2013 we built a large transformer substation for Croatian Railways in the village of Vrata, near Fužine in Gorski Kotar. Our subcontractor for the construction and electrical installation works was the company TehnoElektro from Đakovo.

In early 2013 the winter was severe, and the snow fell in abundance. Of course, our work was temporarily suspended. But one day, a yellow long-haired dog (we assumed a kind of a retriever breed) wandered to the work site, seemingly asking for help, and about ready to have puppies at any moment. The workers on duty made her a makeshift, warm little house and there, she gave birth to two beautiful, all-black, short-haired male puppies, which was a surprise to all of us. We assumed then that they were fathered by a local stray black Labrador. Our Slavonian colleagues named the one remaining puppy Garo, as his brother was immediately adopted by someone.

Garo, the stray:

Garo lived as a stray until the summer, with his ‘base’ on our building site, and of course he didn’t have it bad – the workers fed him well. Coming to Vrata from time to time to monitor the progress of the work, I also observed Garo growing up, from a tiny puppy to a beautiful young dog. He would always happily play with us and be petted and then, in a special goodbye gesture, he would run after our car for a long time.

However, to the delight of the investors and Garo’s disappointment, our work was completed the following summer and the workers left the facility, which was normally remotely controlled and without a permanent crew. In order not to leave him entirely in the care of hardworking young ladies from the local animal shelter, the workers (temporarily) took Garo to the next construction site, near Novska and advertised that he was in need of a permanent home.

How Garo became ours:

After a short consideration and consultation with J_., I decided to bring Garo to Medvedski breg, so I informed my team in Novska. My friend M. asked me how I imagined it working out and simply stated, Either you go with him to Breg or he comes to the city with you.

I chose the third solution – I would visit Garo at Breg every day. It became my daily commitment and ‘entertainment,’ especially after I retired. And so, it has been for the past eight years. Don’t ask me about the costs – I’m consoled that I don’t indulge in any other luxuries.

How did Operation get-Garo-to-Zagreb go?

I agreed with my colleague I_. that we should get Garo and bring him to Zagreb during our next inspection tour of the work site in Novska. We put some protective sheets and cardboard in the trunk of our car, and we brought some sausages (based on the advice of the foreman in the field) to make Garo more cooperative.

Before leaving for Zagreb, we tried to convince Garo to get in the car. But he smelled some danger, so not even sausages helped. At some point he decided it would be best to run away, so we ran after him, covered in mud up to our ankles. After some struggle, young and agile I. caught him and we began our restless journey.

The first time at the vet:

We finally arrived in Zagreb. First stop – a veterinary clinic in Heinzelova, across the street from the university. They work late. We parked in the fenced parking lot and tried to get frightened Garo out of the car. I ineptly put a collar on him and tried to attach the leash I just bought at the closest pet shop.

Garo, however, decided to jump out of the trunk and rush towards the main road. Fortunately, the fear of a lot of traffic, I guess, was what made him stop and freeze in place. After that, we easily brought him into the infirmary, so everything proceeded in order: examination, chipping, vaccination, the passport... Thus, Garo became a resident of Zagreb with his home at Breg, and I officially became his ‘dad.’

In his new home:

We finally arrived at Breg. I had already bought and prepared a real doghouse, food and more.

Surprisingly quickly, Garo got used his new home. And how could he not? He was surrounded by beautiful nature and the silence was disturbed only by the barking of other dogs in the village.

You can read more about his adventures in the stories that follow!

THE TORMENT OF (UN-NEUTERED) GARO

(Written upon our return from Kućica, 9 May 2020)

Dear friends,

In the previous text you met Garo, our dog at Kućica on Medvedski breg.

And now, let me tell you about some of his adventures.

How Garo remained un-neutered:

From the beginning, I wanted Garo to remain as natural as possible, a true half-breed of Gorski Kotar. I did not put him through dog training. But what had to be done (chipping) and still has to be done (mandatory vaccinations...), I made sure was all done, and is still being done, properly. However, we are in violation of the city’s regulation, on the mandatory permanent sterilisation of dogs, from 2018.

Whether sterilisation solves the problem of a large increase in the number of stray dogs remains a topic of many discussions. It is my opinion that this is an operation to ‘get the tonsils out on the wrong side,’ although, animal welfare associations are keenly advocating for sterilisation.

And that’s why I don’t let Garo get neutered.

About some ethical aspects of peoples’ attitudes towards pets and other animals:

I have always wondered if it was ethically acceptable for humans to give themselves the right to make life altering decisions for their dogs, such as sterilisation, or the cutting of their ears or tail, so their dog would have the appearance prescribed, according to the Dog Society for a certain breed standard... And even giving themselves ‘Godly’ powers in deciding whether to euthanise the dog or let him live, some day. And all of that for one’s comfort, interest, or whatever ‘important’ reason.

I would like to ask the head of the Animal Protection Society – one of the biggest advocates for the sterilisation of dogs – what it would be like for him if someone prescribed a law by which his basic biological functions – reproductive and even sexual – would be removed permanently. Surely, even he would consider the monstrous idea of sterilising people as a measure against the demographic explosion on Earth.

Undoubtedly, these are double standards that apply to humans and pets, and then to pets and other animals. Although, these are probably necessary for this civilization in which we live, in which we sterilise pets in order to live more comfortably and with less worry. On the other hand, they are necessary to make better use, or a better dish, of some animals, so we sterilise bulls into oxen, boars into pigs, roosters in capons, and so on.

That’s where I have to stop! In addition to Garo and other pets, there are countless other animals. In order to be consistent, I would have to think about them too and become a vegan, or at least a vegetarian.

A visit from a female dog named Lara – the torment of Garo:

Mrs. R. from the neighbouring hill came to visit us (we still buy excellent goat cheese from her) with an honest intention to give us, beginners, some tips about the garden we were just establishing. She brought Lara with her, a beautiful and gentle dog.

Mrs. R. said that Lara had been spayed and wouldn’t respond well to Garo’s courtship.

But Garo immediately lost his mind. He started running around Lara, sniffing her, and instead of barking he started sending her some half-mumbling messages. But when he tried to touch her, she growled at him with determination and sent him packing.

Garo decided to change his tactics. He let the guest eat from his bowl, which I had just filled with food for him. And while Lara ate, he continued to schmooze around her, sniffing her and sending her some new signals. But alas, when he tried to touch her, she reacted in the same unfriendly manner.

But then Garo did something unexpected. He went to Mrs. R. who was sitting in an armchair, and climbed into her lap, giving her kisses and licking her face, very obviously wooing her, as Lara’s boss, in the hopes that she would help him convince Lara to be friendlier...

Of course, that didn’t work out. And when Lara left, disappointed Garo ran off to the village, probably in search of better fortune elsewhere.

We were left with a dilemma; should we neuter our dog, given that all our friends and acquaintances had spayed their female dogs.

Sad story about another Garo:

I remember another Garo from Libya, and his sad end. It was about 30 years ago. At Montmontaža’s campsite in Zelten, in the desert about 200 kilometres south of the Mediterranean coast, we had no workers for a while, as we had no contracts for jobs in the surrounding oil fields and facilities at the time. The camp was guarded and maintained during the stand-by mode by an experienced foreman nicknamed Dugi. He had his faithful dog Garo, who was of course a black dog, and a similar mixed breed to our Garo.

There were no mobile phones at the time, but the company’s phone connections worked well, so we would hear from Dugi couple of days or so.

One day, we received a call from Dugi, who sounded upset, almost panicking.

Boss, I have a problem. I was sitting on the doorstep of my trailer, eating chicken that I just baked. I gave a piece to Garo. When he ate it, Garo collapsed in front of me, dead. What should I do?

What could I say other than:

Go to the